AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U vs Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 Comparison

The Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U are processors from different eras and market segments—one a legacy server/workstation part, the other a modern mobile chip. The benchmark data shows a decisive performance gap between them, despite both landing at the 42nd percentile in the global CPU database, with near-identical average benchmark scores (1823 vs 1810). This is a classic case where the average score masks how differently they perform across specific workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The direct comparison is stark. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U scores 1161, while the Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 manages only 635. That is a 45.3% deficit for the Xeon, meaning the Ryzen is roughly 83% faster in this threaded workload. The Ryzen’s advantage comes from having 6 cores and 12 threads versus the Xeon’s 4 cores and 8 threads—a 50% increase in both core and thread count.

The single-core result is even more lopsided. The Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U posts a Cinebench R15 single-core score of 175, versus just 89 for the Xeon E5-1630 v3. This represents a 49.1% delta, with the Ryzen achieving nearly double the score. This is surprising given the Xeon’s higher base clock of 3.70 GHz compared to the Ryzen’s 2.10 GHz, but the Ryzen’s boost clock reaches 4.00 GHz, and its Zen 2 architecture is far more efficient per clock. The data shows that clock speed alone does not determine single-threaded performance.

In the Cinebench R20 and R23 tests, the Xeon scores 2647 and 6303 in multi-core, and 373 and 889 in single-core, respectively. While the Ryzen does not have directly comparable R20 or R23 scores in the data, its R15 performance suggests it would dominate those tests as well. The Ryzen’s Geekbench scores—4692 multi-core and 1211 single-core—further reinforce its overall superiority in both parallel and single-threaded tasks.

The overall win count is clear: the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U wins 2 out of 2 head-to-head benchmark comparisons. The Xeon E5-1630 v3 wins zero. This is not a close contest; the Ryzen is faster in every measured metric, and the margins are substantial—nearly half in the worst case.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 has an average benchmark score of 1823, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U scores 1810. The Xeon leads by just 13 points, which is a negligible 0.7% difference, putting them in the same performance tier overall.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U compare in multi-core performance?

A: In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U scores 1161 versus the Xeon’s 635, giving the Ryzen a 45.3% lead. The Ryzen also has 6 cores and 12 threads compared to the Xeon’s 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the Xeon E5-1630 v3 wins?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U winning both Cinebench R15 multi-core and single-core tests. The Xeon’s wins are zero across all compared benchmarks.

Q: What explains the single-core performance gap despite the Xeon’s higher base clock?

A: The Xeon’s base clock is 3.70 GHz, but its boost is only 3.80 GHz. The Ryzen has a lower base of 2.10 GHz but boosts to 4.00 GHz. More importantly, the Ryzen is built on a 7 nm process with Zen 2 architecture, which delivers higher instructions per clock than the Xeon’s 22 nm Haswell design.

Q: Do both processors support the same memory bandwidth?

A: Yes, both the Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U have a memory bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s, despite the Xeon using quad-channel DDR4 and the Ryzen using dual-channel DDR4.

Q: What is the transistor count difference between the two chips?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U has 9,800 million transistors on a 156 mm² die, while the Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 has 2,600 million transistors on a 356 mm² die. The Ryzen packs nearly four times as many transistors into less than half the die area.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors is massive, reflecting a six-year difference in design philosophy. The Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 uses the Haswell-EP architecture on a 22 nm process node, manufactured by Intel. It features 2,600 million transistors on a large 356 mm² die. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U, by contrast, uses the Zen 2 architecture under the Renoir codename, built on a 7 nm process by TSMC. It crams 9,800 million transistors into a much smaller 156 mm² die. This process advantage is a primary driver of the Ryzen’s performance-per-watt and clock-for-clock efficiency.

Cache configurations also differ. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core, but the Xeon has 256 KB of L2 cache per core, while the Ryzen doubles that to 512 KB per core. For L3 cache, the Xeon offers 10 MB shared, whereas the Ryzen has 8 MB shared. Despite having fewer cores, the Xeon’s larger L3 pool is a legacy design choice; the Ryzen’s larger L2 helps feed its higher core count.

The memory controllers are different as well. The Xeon supports quad-channel DDR4, while the Ryzen uses dual-channel DDR4. Interestingly, both achieve the same peak memory bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s, so the channel difference does not translate into a bandwidth advantage for the Intel part. The Xeon supports ECC memory; the Ryzen does not. The Xeon also offers 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes from the CPU, whereas the Ryzen’s PCIe is merely listed as Gen 3 without a specific lane count.

The Ryzen integrates Radeon RX Vega 6 graphics, giving it a complete platform on a single die. The Xeon has no integrated graphics at all, requiring a discrete GPU for any display output. The Xeon is a server/workstation part with a 140 W TDP, while the Ryzen is a mobile processor with a 15 W TDP. This 125 W difference highlights the efficiency gulf between a 22 nm monolithic server die and a 7 nm mobile APU.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every key specification. The Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U has 6 cores and 12 threads. Base clocks are 3.70 GHz for the Xeon and 2.10 GHz for the Ryzen, but boost clocks are 3.80 GHz and 4.00 GHz, respectively. The Xeon’s TDP is 140 W; the Ryzen’s is 15 W.

Sockets are incompatible: the Xeon uses Intel Socket 2011-3, and the Ryzen uses AMD Socket FP6. The process nodes are 22 nm (Intel) versus 7 nm (TSMC). Transistor counts are 2,600 million versus 9,800 million, and die sizes are 356 mm² versus 156 mm². L2 cache is 256 KB per core versus 512 KB per core, and L3 cache is 10 MB versus 8 MB. The Xeon supports quad-channel memory; the Ryzen uses dual-channel. ECC memory is supported on the Xeon but not the Ryzen. The Xeon has 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes; the Ryzen’s PCIe lane count is unspecified. The Ryzen has integrated Radeon RX Vega 6 graphics; the Xeon has none. The Xeon is end-of-life, while the Ryzen is active. Release dates are September 2014 for the Xeon and May 2020 for the Ryzen. The Xeon’s part number is QFSVSR20L; the Ryzen has no part number listed.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U is the faster processor in every benchmark compared. It wins Cinebench R15 multi-core by 45.3% and single-core by 49.1%. The Ryzen’s 6-core/12-thread configuration gives it a 50% advantage in core and thread counts over the Xeon’s 4-core/8-thread setup. The Ryzen’s 7 nm Zen 2 architecture delivers superior single-threaded performance despite a lower base clock, and its 15 W TDP makes it dramatically more power-efficient than the Xeon’s 140 W design. The Xeon’s only theoretical advantages are its quad-channel memory controller and ECC support, but both are irrelevant given that memory bandwidth is identical at 68.3 GB/s and the Ryzen is not a server part.

Where Each One Wins

AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U wins on:

• Multi-core performance: 1161 vs 635 in Cinebench R15 multi-core, a 45.3% lead.
• Single-core performance: 175 vs 89 in Cinebench R15 single-core, a 49.1% lead.
• Thread count: 12 threads vs 8 threads.
• Power efficiency: 15 W TDP vs 140 W TDP.
• Integrated graphics: Radeon RX Vega 6 vs none.
• Modern process node: 7 nm vs 22 nm.

Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 wins on:

• Core count (tie in wins): none—it loses both benchmark comparisons.
• L3 cache capacity: 10 MB vs 8 MB.
• ECC memory support: yes vs no.
• PCIe lanes: 40 lanes vs unspecified.
• Memory channels: quad-channel vs dual-channel.

The Xeon’s wins are all in legacy server features—ECC, lane count, and channel width—that do not translate into benchmark victories. For any workload measured here, the Ryzen 5 PRO 4650U is the clear choice. The Xeon’s only niche would be a system requiring ECC memory or a specific 2011-3 motherboard, but its performance is decisively behind in every test.